Method of making upholstery panels and applying fasteners thereto



R. F. WALTERS June 18, 1935..

METHOD OF MAKING UPHOLSTERY PANELs AND APPLTING FAsTENERs THERETO Filed Nov. 6, 1930 Patented June 18, 1935 METHOD 0F MAKING UPHOLSTERY AND APPLYING FASTENEBS THEBETO Rollo F. Walters, Detroit, Mich., asllgllol' to United-Carr Fastener Corporation, Cambridge.

Mass., a corporation or Massachusetts Application November 8, 1930, Serial No. 493,810

4Clalm8.

My invention aims to provide improvements in the method of making upholstery trim panels and the application of fasteners thereto and to the particular fastener per se having a base provided with panel structure piercing means.

In the drawing which illustrates preferred embodiments of my invention:-

Figure 1 is an elevation view of the inside of the corner portion of an upholstered vehicle door or the like;

Fig. 2 is a view of the inside face of an upholstered panel involving my invention and showing Ithe method by which the studs are attached;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken on the line 3 3 of Figure 1;

Fig. 4 is a section similar to Fig. 3, but showing the base of the fastener as having pierced the backing as well as the covering and the inner face of the panel; and

Figs. 5 and 6 are side and plan views of the stud member.

Heretofore upholstery installations have been assembled in such a manner that the studs, or other like fasteners, were attached by using preformed holes in the backing, the covering material at the inner face of the backing, or both. That is to say, the apertures were necessary to permit attachment of the fastener members.

My invention, as illustrated by the drawing, eliminates the necessity for forming holes in the panel material prior to attachment. Therefore, the panel comprising a backing I of cardboard, or the like, covered at one side with a nishing material 2 of cloth, leather, or the like, may be assembled as a unitbefore attachment of the fasteners 3.

The stud members may be of various constructions to comply with the requirements of my invention, but I have preferred to use studs such as have been used before in upholstery installations. My stud members are provided with an additional feature, since the ends 4 of the U- shaped base l have been pointed and the edges beveled (Figs. 5 and 6), thereby to provide means adapted to pierce the finishing material 2, the backing I, or both. While one end,of the U- shaped base may be shaped as just described, I prefer to shape both ends in the same manner so that the bases may be attached by rotation of the fastener in either direction, as will be hereinafter described.

The method of assembly of the panel structure and fasteners shown in Figs. 1 through 3 is as follows:-First, the backing I is cut to a desired shape and then the covering material 2 is applied in such a manner vthat it extends over the edges and onto the inner face of the backing,

as clearly shown in Fig. 2. These panels may be made by one manufacturer in complete form, as described, and shipped to a motor vehicle body 5 manufacturer where the fastener studs are applied previous to securing the upholstered panel to a framework 5 (Fig. 3) having stud-receiving apertures 6. In the installation shown in Figs. l, 2 and 3, the studs are applied by piercing the covering material 2 at the inner face of the backing I (Fig. 2) with one end of the U-shaped base I of a stud 3 and then rotating the stud (in either one direction or the other depending upon which end of the base is inserted), so that the base will be "screw into the slit 1. Upon complete rotation of the stud the base will lie between the material 2 and the inner face of the backing I (Fig. 3), so that the complete installation will appear about the same as in my co-pending application Serial No. 490,668, flied October 23, 1930, now Patent No. 1,970,785. The studs 3 attached in the manner above described may shift laterally or tip to a limited extent for alignment with apertures 6 in the framework 5 due to the exibility 25 of the material 2.

'Ihe installation shown in Fig. 4 is assembled in substantially the same manner as the rst described installation with the exception of the attachment of the fasteners. In this case the bases I are turned through the backing I as well as through the covering material 2 at the inner side of the panel so that a base 4 is located between the front face of the backing and a strip l, as clearly illustrated. 'I'he strip 8 is attached to the backing I during assembly of the panel structure and provides means for preventing the material 2, at the front face of the installation, from interfering with the assembly of the fasteners. During the attachment of the fasteners the cardboard backing I is apertured by the rotation of the fastener to permit shifting or tipping of the shank 9 relative to the backing for alignment of the shank 9 with the aperture 6 in the framework 5.

While I have illustrated and described preferred embodiments of my invention I do not wish tube limited thereby, because the scope of my invention is best defined by the following claims.

I claim:

1. The method of making a trim panel and applying thereto a fastener having a U-shaped base provided with a cutting edge, a piercing end on said base adjacent to the cutting edge and a shank extending from said base which comprises 55 pressing the piercing end into the panel structure and rotating the fastener so that the cutting edge forms a slit in the panel to permit entrance of the base into the panel structure, said cutting edge, upon completion of rotation of the fastener, forming a slit in the panel structure which is large enough with relation to the shank of the fastener that the fastener may shift longitudinally relative to the panel structure.

2. The method of making a trim panel and applying a fastener thereto for attaching the panel to a supporting structure which comprises rst applying a covering of flexible material to the front side of a backing part and securing the edges of the covering to the inner face of the backing and thereafter forcing a piercing end of a U-Shaped base of the fastener through the covering material at the inner face of the backing and rotating the fastener so that the base will be forced into a position between the inner face of the backing and the covering material.

3. The method of making a. trim panel and applying a fastener thereto for attaching the panel to a supporting structure which comprises rst applying a covering of flexible material to the front side of a backing part and securing the edges of the covering to the inner face of the backing and thereafter forcing a piercing end of a U-shaped base of the fastener through the backing from the inner side and rotating the fastener to embed the base thereof in the trim panel structure between the front face of the backing and the covering material.

4. 'Ihe method of making a trim panel and applying a fastener thereto for attaching the panel to a supporting structure which comprises rst applying a covering of flexible material tol the front side of a backing part and securing the edges of the covering to the ixmer face o1' the backing and thereafter forcing a piercing end of a U-shaped base of the fastener through the covering material and the backing from the inner side and rotating the fastener to embed the base thereof in the trim panel structure between the front face of the backing and the covering material.

ROLLO F. WALTERS. 

